In March of 1944, Pratt & Whitney requested a F4U-1 Corsair from Vought Aircraft
for evaluation of their new P&W R-4360,28 cylinder
engine. Vought transferred F4U-1,
BuNo 02460 (Birdcage Canopy) to see if the airframe and engine were compatible.
The tests proved successful and Goodyear Aircraft of Akron, Ohio was given the
F2G program. (Source: N. Veronico "F4U Corsair" - B. Kinzey
"F4U Corsair Vol.1

FG1-A Conversions

BuNo 13471-XF2G-1: The first FG1 model to test the R-4360
engine. 5/31/44) The
aircraft still retained the FG1 cockpit and turtle deck. It had a
14ft., 4 blade propeller,
top deck carburetor intake and a long cowl. (Yellow cowl
with Blue #5) (Source: Squadron
"F4U Corsair In Action "No.29 - N.
H. Hauprich, Goodyear)

BuNo 14691-XF2G-1W The first aircraft manufactured as a true F2G- 1. It used the
engine from 13471. First aircraft, to have the 12 inch
auxiliary rudder. (Yellow cowl with Blue #9)
It was tested at Akron and NAS Patuxent
from 10/44 to 6/47 Stricken Navy records 6/30/47.
(Source: N. Veronico
"F4UCorsair" - N. H. Hauprich, Goodyear)

BuNo 14693-XF2G-1: N5590N Race #94: First aircraft to have
the extended carburetor intake,
these tests were conducted at Pratt & Whitney in
1944. The aircraft was then tested at NAS
Patuxent until it was obtained by Navy
veteran Cook Cleland. In the 1947 Thompson Trophy
Race, it was flown to second place by
pilot Dick Becker.(1947 Color: White with Insignia Red
trim, letters and numbers) It
failed to finish in 1948. Piloted by owner Cook Cleland, the aircraft
won the 1949
Thompson Trophy Race.(1949 Color: All White with Black letters and numbers)
After Air
Racing ended in Cleveland, the aircraft was used by the Cleveland Airport Fire Dept.
for
training purposes. It was destroyed in 1955. The R-4360 engine and four bladed
propeller
were obtained by Crawford Auto And Air Museum. It was stricken from Navy records
?/31/49 ?
(Source: N. Veronico "F4U Corsair" - D. Jones, 3 View Drawings.)

BuNo 88454-F2G-1: This was the first production F2G. It was
tested at NAS Patuxent and
NAS Norfolk from 1945 to 1948. Stricken from Navy records
5/31/48. Obtained by W. Ohlrich
in 1973. From 1978, it resided at the Champlin
Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona. (Source: N.
Veronico "F4U Corsair")
In 2003 it was moved to the Museum of Flightin Seattle Washington.

BuNo 88458-F2G-1:
N5588N Race
#57:
Tested at
Port Columbus, Oh.
and NAS
Patuxent from
10/45 to 7/46.
Stricken from Navy records 1/48.
The aircraft was purchased by Cook Cleland,
supposedly for spare parts. Registration
No. BuNo 88457 was illegally
used
to circumvent Government technicalities. The aircraft was flown by
pilot
Ben McKillen Jr.
in the 1949 Tinnerman and Thom. Trophy Races. After
air racing, the aircraft went through
a series of owners;
John Trainor of New Hampshire, Harry Doan of Florida, the
Lone Star
Museum of Texas, Don Knapp
of Florida and Greg Morris. In 1996, it was acquired
by
Robt.Odegaard of Kindred, N.D. who restored it to be the only flying F2G
Corsair, at the time.
In 2009, after many air show appearances and a few Bronze Class races
at the Reno
Nat.
Races, the aircraft was sold to Ron Pratt, a private collector.
(Color: Red and White with Black Letters and Numbers.)
(Source: N.Veronico "F4U
Corsair" - H.A.Hauprich -
Bill Meixner, Air Racing Historian -Odegaard
Aviation)

BuNo 88461-F2G-2:
Aircraft saw service with the fleet, NAS North Island
San Diego in 1946.
It was rumored to have been sent to Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii in 1946. Stricken from Navy
records
1/47. (Source: N.Veronico "F4U Corsair" - Navaer-1925
Aircraft Hist. Card)

BuNo 88462-F2G-2:Aircraft saw service with the fleet at North Island, San Diego in 1946. Also rumored to
have been sent to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Stricken from Navy records 5/47.
(Source: N.Veronico "F4U Corsair" -
Navaer 1925 Aircraft Hist. Card)

BuNo 88463-F2G-2: N5577N Race #74: Used for training at NAS
Jacksonville, Fla. Stricken from
Navy records 2/28/47. Pilot Cook Cleland purchased
the aircraft and flew it first place in the 1947
Thompson Trophy Race. It was also flown
in the 1948 and 1949 Nat. Air Races by pilot Becker,
who failed to
finish. In 1953 The
aircraft was purchased by Walter Soplata of Newbury, Oh. In 1997,
the Western
Reserve Hist. Society of Cleveland, Oh. purchased the aircraft.
The aircraft was then sent to
Robt.
Odegaard of Kindred, N. D. for a static restoration.
In 2007, No.74 was sold to Tom Ungurean of Coshocton,
Ohio
who instructed Odegaard Aviation to continue to restore the aircraft, but to
flying condition.
After 62 years,
the aircraft flew again in public at the
2011 Reno Nat. Races.
On Sept.12,2012, Robt. Odegaard tragically died
when the restored F2G Corsair crashed while practicing for a local
air show. (Color:
Slate Blue, Blue and White checkerboard cowl. White trim, letters and numbers)
(Source: N.Veronico "F4U
Corsair" - Society Of Air Racing Historians)